ALTHOUGH they were not offered any koeksisters and tea, a group of EFF members who cast their votes in Orania yesterday said that they felt welcome in the Afrikaner enclave.

EFF provincial secretary Shadrack Thlaole and EFF national deputy general secretary Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi accompanied members from surrounding areas to the voting station in Orania.

Provincial EFF spokesperson Obakaeng Lechuti said that they had decided to make a surprise visit to the town.

“The EFF has made a resolution that no voting district should be without an EFF voter. It is a free country and everyone is allowed to vote anywhere in South Africa,”Lechuti said.

“We do not want to take over Orania but we do want to experience what they have to offer. They must also give us land for housing, agriculture and industry use. South Africa is a rainbow nation and Orania should experience that too.”

Lechuti said that the EFF delegation was welcomed and interviewed. “It went well, the mood was good and we were accepted. We also enjoyed their presence.”

Freedom Front Plus provincial leader Wynand Boshoff said that they were expecting the EFF’s visit, although they were not registered at any of the voting stations in Orania.

“The EFF supporters are from neighbouring farms and surrounding areas of Orania. They made history by coming here and we gave them a friendly welcome. There were no confrontations and the delegation left soon after they had cast their votes.”

Boshoff did not believe that the EFF vote would make a big difference in the Province.